1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sealing devices adapted to prevent the escape of fluids or granules from containers, and more particularly to sealing devices which are removable after the containers are properly positioned so as to minimize the spilling of the fluids or granules when transferring same into receptacles.
In the transfer of pourable materials, whether fluid or granular, from a container to a receptacle, spillage often takes place. This is particularly likely to occur if the size of the opening of the container is large in proportion to the size of the opening of the receptacle, or if the working environment renders transfer of the material difficult to effect without spillage. The resulting spillage is wasteful and potentially hazardous, and the cleanup is time consuming. A prime example occurs when automotive motor oil is attempted to be transferred from a container into an automobile engine. In such circumstances the oil flowing from the container may be spilled onto the engine, making a mess and potentially degrading components of the engine or interfering with their function. It may also lead to fire if the oil is spilled in sufficient quantity onto hot engine parts. In another example, in the case of a bakery, flour, baking soda, powdered sugar, and the like may spill when poured from a container into a bin or receptacle. This wastes valuable product, creates extra labor to clean the spill, and may introduce particulate matter into the air, threatening the health of the person doing the pouring as well as others nearby. In yet another example, chemical laboratories in schools or businesses commonly make use of chemical reagents which are purchased in bulk and then transferred from large containers into smaller ones, such as beakers or flasks. Spillage in such cases is particularly hazardous, since many chemical reagents are toxic, as well as producing noxious fumes.
The advantages of utilizing a sealing device adapted to prevent the escape of fluids or granules until the container is properly aligned with the receptacle are many. The use of such devices could prevent motor oil spills by users even on windy days or in the dark; they could reduce material waste and airborne particulates; they could reduce the hazards of handling noxious and toxic chemicals. These and other obvious advantages would accrue to the use of the claimed device.
2. Description of Prior Art
There have been a number of attempts by others to design containers, particularly in the troublesome case of engine oil, which eliminate spillage. These most often involve specially designed containers with features manufactured into the container and/or the cap of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,687,829 (Horrocks), issued Aug. 31, 1954, represents an early attempt to remove a seal after the container has been properly positioned with respect to the receptacle. '829 (Horrocks) involves a device where the neck of the container is adapted to puncture the cap. The disadvantages of this device is the necessity of reconfiguring both the container neck and the cap, and the resulting damage to the cap which prevents it from sealing the container after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,570 (Dubow, et al.), issued Jun. 23, 1992, involves a frangible seal and a seal rupturing rod attached to the bottom of the container and extending to just below the seal. The seal is broken by applying a sufficient force to the bottom of the container to distort the Bottom inward, thereby forcing the rod through the seal. This design necessitates a modification of the container to incorporate the rod. It also creates a tiny aperture in the seal, which may impede the free flow of contents, especially if the contents are granular rather than fluid. Finally, the materials from which the container may be constructed are limited to those flexible enough to permit distortion of the bottom of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,859 (Willis, et al.), issued Oct. 22, 1996, operates on a principal similar to '570 (Dubow). '859 (Willis) involves a frangible seal with a seal-piercing component integrated into the cap. The cap also includes an aperture through which the contents may flow. The disadvantages of this design are several: the cap itself must be redesigned to include the piercing component and the aperture; the seal may be inadvertently pierced during storage or handling; and once the seal is ruptured, the cap, due to the aperture, no longer seals the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,180 (Cardenas), issued Apr. 2, 2002, also operates on a principal similar to '570 (Dubow), in that the device includes a frangible seal and an integrated seal rupturing component. In '180 (Cardenas), the seal rupturing component is an inner neck situated below the seal; when the outer neck is compressed, the inner neck contacts and ruptures the seal. This design requires a substantial modification to the container and limits the materials from which the container may be constructed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,082 (Sampson), issued Dec. 6, 1988, employs a seal which is removed by applying force to the sides of the container, thereby creating an increase in the internal pressure of the container until such pressure causes the seal to detach from the container. While this invention does not require any modification to a standard container, it does limit the construction of the container to materials which are easily deformable. Moreover, it would not be useful with granule, rather than fluid, contents, as the lateral pressures applied to the sides of the container would not easily translate into increased pressure on the seal. Finally, this invention does not allow the user much control over the release of the seal, as the amount of pressure needed to be applied to the sides of the container may be variable and the ultimate detachment of the seal from the container may be rather explosive, creating the very spillage that the device is intended to prevent. In addition, compression of the container during shipping or handling could inadvertently break the seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,968 (Good), issued Oct. 11, 1994, operates on a principal similar to '082 (Sampson) in that a force is applied to the sides of the container to create an increase in the internal pressure. '968 (Good) differs from '082 (Sampson) in that the seal itself is designed with weakened areas which give way when the internal pressure is great enough, thereby causing the seal to rupture. This device has all of the disadvantages evident in the '082 (Sampson) invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,344 (Jangaard), issued Sep. 7, 1999, also operates on a principal similar to '082 (Sampson). '344 (Jangaard) discloses a container with an enlarged chamber formed into the neck, with a plug lodged in the opening at the end of the chamber opposite the exterior opening of the container. The container is required to be constructed of a flexible material. The user dislodges the plug by applying a sufficient force to distort the container, thereby increasing the interior pressure sufficiently to dislodge the plug; the plug remains in the chamber and the fluid flows around it and out of the container. This device has all of the disadvantages evident in the '082 (Sampson) invention, as well as requiring significant modification to the container. In addition, if pressure on the container is released, the plug may return to its original position, stopping the flow of the contents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,772 (Poulsen), issued Jun. 10, 1997, employs a container with an elongated, flexible neck, with a frangible seal attached within the neck. The seal is ruptured when the neck is squeezed with sufficient force to distort its shape. This design requires the container to be modified and limits the materials from which the container may be constructed. It also involves a difficult procedure for attaching the seal to the interior of the elongated neck in the manufacturing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,136 (Debetencourt), issued Aug. 12, 1986, discloses a seal having a small tab. This invention requires modification to the container neck or to the cap to create a free space to accommodate the tab. Nevertheless, the tab is so short that its utility in remotely removing the seal is minimized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,571 (Crecelius, et al.), issued Oct. 10, 1989, comes closest to solving the problems inherent in the prior art devices. It applies a removable seal to a standard container, with the seal having an elongated tab to facilitate the removal of the seal. Use of the elongated tab provides the user control in removing the seal. However, the container still needs to be modified by creating a channel in the threads of the container in order to accommodate the elongated tab. This need for modification increases the cost of the container and reduces the attractiveness of this device for production purposes. Additionally, the elongated tab is positioned alongside the neck of the container in a manner which is not conducive to easy removal of the seal, thereby necessitating the repositioning of the tab before it can be effectively used. This may present some difficulty to a user, especially if the tab is adhered to the neck of the container, as is taught by the device. Finally, the tab itself may be difficult to grip because of its elongated shape.
The claimed invention addresses all of the problems and deficiencies found in the prior art. The primary advantage is that no modification to the container is required. Containers manufactured of plastic material using a blow-molding process by which manufacture is rendered less expensive than by other forms of molding or shaping of the container may be used. This is especially useful when the container is to be used for dispensing automotive motor oil, as such containers conform to industrial standards as to dimensions, shape and features. However, any other method of manufacture may be used, as well as any kind of material, including rigid materials which would prevent the container from distorting. Other advantages of the claimed invention are that it allows for a controlled removal of the seal, thereby minimizing accidental spillage from unexpected or sudden rupturing of the seal; the claimed invention aligns the remote seal removal mechanism for the convenience of the user; and it retains the seal after it is removed to minimize the creation of litter. The claimed invention is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to adapt to existing manufacturing processes.